Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during Thursday’s game against the Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw pitched five innings in his first appearance since May 1, but he was placed back on the DL on Friday. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Today’s podcast guest is Jon Weisman, author of “Brothers in Arms: Koufax, Kershaw and the Dodgers’ Extraordinary Pitching Tradition.” We discuss the process of writing this book — spoiler, he pulled together a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time — and talk about (among other things) blogging, civility, why the “historian” job may be the best one in a baseball organization, and why laying all blame for all Dodgers struggles at the feet of Andrew Friedman may be a little misguided.

Jim Alexander is an Inland Empire native who started with his hometown newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, longer ago than he cares to admit. He's been a sports columnist off and on since 1992, and a full-time columnist since 2010. Yes, he's opinionated, but no, that's not the only club in his bag. He's covered every major league and major sports beat in Southern California over the years, so not much surprises him any more. (And he and Justin Turner have this in common: Both attended Cal State Fullerton. Jim has no plans to replicate Turner's beard.)